Air valve



E. JQ PRATT A ril I 14, 1942.

AIR VALVE Filed May '7, i937 Patented Apr. 14, 1942 iTE STT rFIcE AIR VALVE tion of Illinois Application May 7, 1937, Serial No. 141,314

Claims.

This invention relates to air valves and has for its object to provide a new and improved device of this description. The invention has as a further object to provide an air valve that does not discharge water of condensation out into the room.

The air valve may be used with any form of steam heating system, but is particularly adapted to a system where the radiators have a large radiating area and a steam chamber having a comparatively small volume, so that the steam therein is condensed rapidly, particularly when the steam first enters the cold radiators.

The invention has other objects which are more particularly pointed out in the accompanying description.

Referring now to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a View of one form of valve embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a. vertical sectional view through one form of valve embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fi and Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional view showing a modified construction.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughou the several figures.

The invention is applicable to various forms of air valves and I have illustrated it in connection with a simple air valve. I have illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a valve provided with a casing I. On the inside of the casing is a receptacle 2 which contains expansible material which expands when heated. This receptacle also acts as a float. The casing I is provided with a base 3 by means of which it is connected with the radiator by a nipple 3a. A pipe 4 connects with the interior of the casing I and with the interior of the radiator. A cross member 5 extends across the interior of the valve and obstructs the passage of water of condensation up into the casing I. This cross member also supports the pipe d. The pipe 4 is preferably open at both ends and is provided with one or more openings to for the escape of water of condensation back in the radiator. The receptacle 2 is supported on a suitable support, such as the pipe 4, and the bottom is flexible so that when the expansible material in the receptacle is expanded to increase the pressure, the upper part of the receptacle will be moved upwardly. Connected to the top of the receptacle there is a valve member 6 which cooperates with a valve seat I in a member 8, which has a passageway 9 therethrough communicating with the outside atmosphere. This member 8 is preferably removable and adjustable and as shown has a threaded exterior which engages a threaded member 10 on the casing. The receptacle 2 also preferably has ahollow member II. which surrounds the lower end of the member 8 and which has a substantially close fit with this end, but which still permits the float to be easily moved up and down, and also permits the air after it is forced out of the radiator by the steam,

to pass out through the member 8 and out through the opening 9. At the same time this member I I obstructs the passing of water out through the opening 9 and tends to direct it away from this opening so that it will not pass out into the room. Connected with the casing I is a cap I2 which has one or more openings I3 through which air escapes.

Means is provided for permitting steam, air and water of condensation to pass from the radiator up through the cross member 5 and into the casing I above this cross member. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, for example, there are provided one or more conduits I4, which are open at their lower ends I5 so that the air, steam and water may pass up into them and out of the top thereof. These conduits may be entirely open at the top or may have one or more openings I5 arranged to direct the air, steam or water laterally therefrom.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a'modified construction which is similar to the construction of Figs. 1 and 2, except that instead of having a nipple at the bottom, there is a nipple 31) at the side of the casing, by means of which it is connected with the radiator, and the pipe ib, instead of extending downwardly, is bent to extend laterally into and beyond the nipple 31). Connected with the pipe 419 is a bent section of pipe 40. This section of pipe 40 is rotatably connected with the section 4b in any desired manner, so that it may be rotated with relation thereto, but cannot be with drawn therefrom.

The bent section of pipe 46 is put on after the valve is finished and its connection to the pipe 41), so that it can be rotated, may be made in any desired manner. As herein shown,-the pipe ib is provided with a collar 46 preferably integral therewith. The pipe 40 is enlarged at its end and the enlargement fits over this collar and the outer edge of the pipe 40 is then bent inwardly as shown at 4d, to hold the parts to gether, but yet permit rotation.

In the particular construction shown, the conduits I 4 are shown as having their edges in proximity to or abutting the casing, but of course they may be placed in any other desired position.

I have described in detail several particular constructions, but it is of course evident that the construction, form and arrangement may be varied in many particulars without departing from the spirit of the invention as embodied in the claims hereto appended, and I therefore do not limit myself to the particular construction shown.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows.

Referring to the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, when the valve is attached to the radiator and the steam turned on, the air in the radiator is forced into the base and up through the conduits l4 and out through the passageway 9. During this process a portion of the steam coming into contact with the cold radiator is condensed, forming water, and when this water is formed in large quantities some of it is forced up through the nipple 3a into the valve. This water lifts the receptacle! and causes the valve member 6 to engage the valve seat I so as to seal it and prevent the water from flowing out. The

receptacle 2 also prevents, when closed, any further air from flowing out. The water in the valve then recedes and flow back into the radiator through the pipe 4 and when the water reaches a level where the receptacle ceases to be buoyant,

it lowers so as to open the passageway 9. As the steam enters the valve it has a tendency to force water which may be in the casing, upwardly into the conduits l 4. Some of this water passes out of the openings IS in a direction which prevents it from escaping through the passageway 9 and some of it drops back by gravity so as to drain the pipe and returns to the radiator. This arrangement is also such that the steam when it enters the valve does not force the water out through the passageway 9. When a sufficient amount of steam passes into the casing of the valve it heats the expansible material in the receptacle 2 and the expanding of this material moves the valve member 6 to its seat to close the passageway 9 and prevent the escape of the steam. In the operation of the valve, if the steam is reduced in pressure so that it does not fill the casing and the passageway 9 is opened, this construction prevents the water from being forced out the passageway 9 and prevents the sputtering and spitting of the valve.

It will be seen that in all of these constructions there is means providedfor preventing the valve from spitting, that is preventing the water from being forced out into the room, without obstructing the passage of the air from the easing into the room. It will further be seen that this means is located near the upper part of the receptacle containing the expansible material.

I claim:

1. An air valve comprising a casing, a receptacle in said casing containing expansible material, a valve member connected with said receptacle, a passageway leading from the casing to th exterior atmosphere controlled by said valve member, a cross member extending across said casing below said receptacle and fixed against movement, and a pipe separate from the casing and cross member, the cross member being provided with an opening into which the pipe is received, the pipe being open at its lower end, said pipe having an opening above the cross member communicating with the space surrounding said receptacle.

2. An air valve comprising a casing, a single connecting device at the bottom of the casing for connecting it to the radiator, a receptacle in said casing containing expansible material, a valve member connected with said receptacle, a passageway leading to the exterior atmosphere, a valve seat in said passageway cooperating with said valve member and means at the end of the casing farthest from the inlet, attached to said valve member and movable therewith, for directing water away from said passageway without interfering with the escape of air.

3. An air valve comprising a casing, a receptacle in said casing adapted to contain expansible material, a valve member connected with said receptacle, an air escape member connected with the casing above said valve member and having a passageway therethrough, a seat formed therein intermediate the ends of said passageway, adapted to be engaged by said valve member, and a hollow member enclosing the lower end of said air escape member, and movable with relation thereto when the valve member is moved and connected with said valve member so as to move therewith.

4. An air valve comprising a casing, a receptacle in said casing adapted to contain xpansible material, a valve member connected with said receptacle, an air escape member connected with the casing above said valve member and having a passageway therethrough, a seat formed therein intermediate the ends of" said passageway, adapted to be engaged by said valve member, and a hollow member enclosing the lower end of said air escap member, and movable with relation thereto when the valve member is moved, and connected with said valve member so as to move therewith, a cross member below said receptacle and a conduit at one side of said receptacle, said conduit having openings therein on opposite sides of said cross member.

5. An air valve comprising a casing, a receptacle therein adapted to contain expansible material, a valve member connected to the top of said receptacle, an air escape member at the upper end of said casing having a passageway leading from the valve casing to the atmosphere, controlled by said valve member, and a cup shaped member connected with said receptacle and opening upwardly and into the upper end of which the lower end of said member having the air escape passageway therethrough is movably received.

ELMER J. PRATT. 

